Saving Bumblebees Became This Photographer’s Mission | Short Film Showcase

I started this journey chasing one goat

I started this journey chasing one goat and ended up taking a lesson from

and ended up taking a lesson from

and ended up taking a lesson from another we humans defend the things we

another we humans defend the things we

another we humans defend the things we value that’s why I traveled halfway

value that’s why I traveled halfway

value that’s why I traveled halfway across the country looking for a bee I

across the country looking for a bee I

across the country looking for a bee I [Music]

can’t remember what first attracted me

can’t remember what first attracted me to insects

to insects

to insects I was always shy and I wasn’t very good

I was always shy and I wasn’t very good

I was always shy and I wasn’t very good at sports or other socially acceptable

at sports or other socially acceptable

at sports or other socially acceptable things I was the kid who was good at

things I was the kid who was good at

things I was the kid who was good at science and art and even though I’ve got

science and art and even though I’ve got

science and art and even though I’ve got kids of my own now not much has changed

kids of my own now not much has changed

kids of my own now not much has changed I’ve been training all my life for this

I’ve been training all my life for this

I’ve been training all my life for this pond still dressed like a ten year old

pond still dressed like a ten year old

pond still dressed like a ten year old boy my name is clay bolt I’m a nature

boy my name is clay bolt I’m a nature

boy my name is clay bolt I’m a nature photographer and my favorite subjects in

photographer and my favorite subjects in

photographer and my favorite subjects in the world are the little animals that

the world are the little animals that

the world are the little animals that most people ignore I did some reading

most people ignore I did some reading

most people ignore I did some reading and discovered that there are almost

and discovered that there are almost

and discovered that there are almost 4,000 species of wild native breeds in

4,000 species of wild native breeds in

4,000 species of wild native breeds in North America honeybee ones everyone is

North America honeybee ones everyone is

North America honeybee ones everyone is so worried about actually don’t belong

so worried about actually don’t belong

so worried about actually don’t belong here Europeans brought them over with

here Europeans brought them over with

here Europeans brought them over with cows and chickens and all of our other

cows and chickens and all of our other

cows and chickens and all of our other domesticated animals we know almost

domesticated animals we know almost

domesticated animals we know almost nothing about most of the native species

nothing about most of the native species

nothing about most of the native species and to photographing native bees became

and to photographing native bees became

and to photographing native bees became my obsession

the rusty patch bumblebee has not been

the rusty patch bumblebee has not been seen in the park since 2003 despite

seen in the park since 2003 despite

seen in the park since 2003 despite repeated efforts to find it

we do have records of it occurring all

we do have records of it occurring all the way back to the 1930s and so we’re

the way back to the 1930s and so we’re

the way back to the 1930s and so we’re not entirely sure why we’re seeing the

not entirely sure why we’re seeing the

not entirely sure why we’re seeing the decline especially in a protected area

decline especially in a protected area

decline especially in a protected area like the National Park there was a

like the National Park there was a

like the National Park there was a stuffed passenger pigeon next to me sort

stuffed passenger pigeon next to me sort

stuffed passenger pigeon next to me sort of staring off into space with its glass

of staring off into space with its glass

of staring off into space with its glass eyes that was the most numerous bird on

eyes that was the most numerous bird on

eyes that was the most numerous bird on the continent but we exterminated it

the continent but we exterminated it

the continent but we exterminated it before we even realized what we were

before we even realized what we were

before we even realized what we were doing I wondered whether the rusty

doing I wondered whether the rusty

doing I wondered whether the rusty patched bumblebee like the passenger

patched bumblebee like the passenger

patched bumblebee like the passenger pigeon was another ghost in the making

there are still some rusty patch

there are still some rusty patch bumblebee populations in the Upper

bumblebee populations in the Upper

bumblebee populations in the Upper Midwest and whether I could photograph

Midwest and whether I could photograph

Midwest and whether I could photograph them or not I needed to know they were

them or not I needed to know they were

them or not I needed to know they were still out there a bee biologist named

still out there a bee biologist named

still out there a bee biologist named rich Hatfield suggested that we meet up

rich Hatfield suggested that we meet up

rich Hatfield suggested that we meet up in Madison Wisconsin to try and find the

in Madison Wisconsin to try and find the

in Madison Wisconsin to try and find the bee this is the species that used to be

bee this is the species that used to be

bee this is the species that used to be one of the most common bumblebees in the

one of the most common bumblebees in the

one of the most common bumblebees in the eastern United States and now it’s

eastern United States and now it’s

eastern United States and now it’s relative abundance has dropped by 90 to

relative abundance has dropped by 90 to

relative abundance has dropped by 90 to 95% so a once common animal has become

95% so a once common animal has become

95% so a once common animal has become incredibly rare in February of 2013 the

incredibly rare in February of 2013 the

incredibly rare in February of 2013 the zr2 Society filed a petition with the

zr2 Society filed a petition with the

zr2 Society filed a petition with the Fish and Wildlife Service to have the

Fish and Wildlife Service to have the

Fish and Wildlife Service to have the rusty catch bumblebee listed as an

rusty catch bumblebee listed as an

rusty catch bumblebee listed as an endangered species and under the law the

endangered species and under the law the

endangered species and under the law the Fish and Wildlife Service has to reply

Fish and Wildlife Service has to reply

Fish and Wildlife Service has to reply within 90 days with what’s called a 90

within 90 days with what’s called a 90

within 90 days with what’s called a 90 day finding they just have to respond

day finding they just have to respond

day finding they just have to respond and say the species warrants of a

and say the species warrants of a

and say the species warrants of a further investigation by the Fish and

further investigation by the Fish and

further investigation by the Fish and Wildlife Service or it doesn’t when I

Wildlife Service or it doesn’t when I

Wildlife Service or it doesn’t when I met up with rich more than 900 days

met up with rich more than 900 days

met up with rich more than 900 days after the petition was filed there still

after the petition was filed there still

after the petition was filed there still hadn’t been a 90 day finding on the

hadn’t been a 90 day finding on the

hadn’t been a 90 day finding on the rusty patch bumblebee

rusty patch bumblebee

rusty patch bumblebee if the agency responsible for endangered

if the agency responsible for endangered

if the agency responsible for endangered species couldn’t be bothered to respond

species couldn’t be bothered to respond

species couldn’t be bothered to respond then the bee was going to need some

then the bee was going to need some

then the bee was going to need some other allies if I could photograph to be

other allies if I could photograph to be

other allies if I could photograph to be then at least people could see what we

then at least people could see what we

then at least people could see what we stood to lose I photograph the rescue

stood to lose I photograph the rescue

stood to lose I photograph the rescue patch feeding and flying and resting for

patch feeding and flying and resting for

patch feeding and flying and resting for the night one of the really special

the night one of the really special

the night one of the really special moment even though it’s not the best

moment even though it’s not the best

moment even though it’s not the best photo I got with finding a Jain

photo I got with finding a Jain

photo I got with finding a Jain one of next year’s Queen like a fuzzy

one of next year’s Queen like a fuzzy

one of next year’s Queen like a fuzzy little symbol of hope for the future

what good are insects to start with you

what good are insects to start with you can answer that question in a couple of

can answer that question in a couple of

can answer that question in a couple of different ways one is you can try to

different ways one is you can try to

different ways one is you can try to figure out what good are they doing for

figure out what good are they doing for

figure out what good are they doing for me now what is the value of that

me now what is the value of that

me now what is the value of that biodiversity I think we can all agree

biodiversity I think we can all agree

biodiversity I think we can all agree that having zero species probably is not

that having zero species probably is not

that having zero species probably is not a good situation having lots of species

a good situation having lots of species

a good situation having lots of species well is that better than just having a

well is that better than just having a

well is that better than just having a few on the one hand I completely

few on the one hand I completely

few on the one hand I completely understand that it’s difficult to value

understand that it’s difficult to value

understand that it’s difficult to value something that it seems so detached from

something that it seems so detached from

something that it seems so detached from from our everyday lives on the other

from our everyday lives on the other

from our everyday lives on the other hand if you don’t need to put that value

hand if you don’t need to put that value

hand if you don’t need to put that value on it that also says something about how

on it that also says something about how

on it that also says something about how you value other life in general and I’ll

you value other life in general and I’ll

you value other life in general and I’ll never forget the first time I put a

never forget the first time I put a

never forget the first time I put a beetle under the microscope and look at

beetle under the microscope and look at

beetle under the microscope and look at it up close and I thought these are the

it up close and I thought these are the

it up close and I thought these are the most beautiful things that I’ve ever

most beautiful things that I’ve ever

most beautiful things that I’ve ever seen that was good enough for me I

seen that was good enough for me I

seen that was good enough for me I didn’t need to put any value on it they

didn’t need to put any value on it they

didn’t need to put any value on it they were just beautiful we spend so much

were just beautiful we spend so much

were just beautiful we spend so much time and effort making life better for

time and effort making life better for

time and effort making life better for ourselves the least that we can do is

ourselves the least that we can do is

ourselves the least that we can do is make life possible for this bee

make life possible for this bee

make life possible for this bee [Music]

[Music]

[Music] people everywhere share a desire to fill

people everywhere share a desire to fill

people everywhere share a desire to fill wonder we gravitate toward rare

wonder we gravitate toward rare

wonder we gravitate toward rare beautiful things and we’ve got one right

beautiful things and we’ve got one right

beautiful things and we’ve got one right here the rusty patch bumblebee really is

here the rusty patch bumblebee really is

here the rusty patch bumblebee really is an amazing little animal Leopold said

an amazing little animal Leopold said

an amazing little animal Leopold said our ability to perceive quality in

our ability to perceive quality in

our ability to perceive quality in nature begin as an art with the pretty

nature begin as an art with the pretty

nature begin as an art with the pretty it expands through successive stages of

it expands through successive stages of

it expands through successive stages of the beautiful to value that yet and

the beautiful to value that yet and

the beautiful to value that yet and captured by language do we have it in us

captured by language do we have it in us

captured by language do we have it in us to save the rest attached bumblebee I

to save the rest attached bumblebee I

to save the rest attached bumblebee I think we do

think we do

think we do [Music]

mmm

mmm remove